The GT Academy is a one-of-a-kind program designed to push the best video game racers to the limit and test their ability to convert their virtual skills into reality. The program has already helped to fulfill the dreams of many gamers who are now professional drivers with Nissan, including Lucas Ordonez, who is now expected to compete in the upcoming Le Mans 24 Hours race.

The GT Academy is a one-of-a-kind program designed to push the best video game racers to the limit and test their ability to convert their virtual skills into reality.

The competition began with over 400,000 racing enthusiasts all doing their best to best each other in the latest iteration of the long-standing PlayStation Gran Turismo franchise. The top 32 contenders were be sent to New York City to participate in the National Finals. Only 12 remained after a series of virtual, media, and real-life driving challenges; the dozen finalists will then be tested at the legendary Silverstone race track in the U.K. In the end, only one driver will be selected to race for Nissan after passing a series of physical, psychological, and athletic challenges and logging an extensive amount of track time in the Nissan 370z, Nissan GT-R, and Nissan JUKE NISMO.

The first episode of Season 3 of Nissan GT Academy will air on SPIKE TV at 10:30 ET on November 11th. If you just want to drive a regular Nissan without having to go through the trouble of hours of competitive training, just stop by Bates Nissan! We’ll hook you up.